Tube or Tube less 06 Road king Classic ?

[kjtrot]

Maybe someone can help with an answer on this.
I had a flat on Friday on my 06 RKC (laced wheels) from what looked like a 10 penny nail in the rear tire. I got some help from a fellow Fatboy rider and we plugged the hole and pumped the tire to 40 psi. I rode the thing home being very careful about the speed and the pressure has held solid for two days. The tire sidewall says the tire is tubeless but I thought all laced wheels required tubes. If this is so how in the world did the plug hold. Was I just very lucky or what?

[Rock]

I have the profile lace wheel. Comes with a tube. You should have a tube.

[nvsteve]

Originally Posted by kjtrot

Maybe someone can help with an answer on this.
I had a flat on Friday on my 06 RKC (laced wheels) from what looked like a 10 penny nail in the rear tire. I got some help from a fellow Fatboy rider and we plugged the hole and pumped the tire to 40 psi. I rode the thing home being very careful about the speed and the pressure has held solid for two days. The tire sidewall says the tire is tubeless but I thought all laced wheels required tubes. If this is so how in the world did the plug hold. Was I just very lucky or what?

You just got lucky. There is a tube in all laced wheels from HD even tho the tire says tubeless.
If the tire still has alot of tread I would get it booted and put a new tube in.
If it is half worn or more I'd get a new tire.
Don't trust it the way it is.

[thrasher]

The same tire can be used as tubeless on a tubeless rim. As was said, you are darned lucky about it not leaking any further, but I would get a new tire. By the time you pay labor to remove, patch, and replace the tire with a new inner tube and rimstrip, and balance you'd be much better off with a new tire.

thrasher
'04 FLHRCI

[Totenkopf]

I have tubeless spoked wheels and run them tubeless. The internal nipple to rim section is coated with an RTV sealer of some sort. The tire valve is the clamp-in style as opposed to a snap-in. What can happen is during tire changes the abrasion of the tire bead scraping over the nipple high spots will breach the seal. Don't ask how I know. The good news is that it can pretty easily repaired and checked in a water tank.

Having said all this, if you run a regular OEM spoked unsealed wheel without a tube, it will leak. Guaranteed!

[FlaFatBoy]

Originally Posted by thrasher

The same tire can be used as tubeless on a tubeless rim. As was said, you are darned lucky about it not leaking any further, but I would get a new tire. By the time you pay labor to remove, patch, and replace the tire with a new inner tube and rimstrip, and balance you'd be much better off with a new tire.

thrasher
'04 FLHRCI

plus its not worth my safety to save a few bucks on a tire repair vs a new tire.


Randy